Police Commissioner Mounts Defiant Defence of Body-Worn Camera Programme
Police Commissioner, Dr Kevin Blake, has issued a forceful defence of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) position on body-worn cameras, dismissing persistent claims of institutional resistance as “lies” and accusing critics of deliberately misleading the public.
In a strongly worded column published in this week’s Force Orders, Dr Blake said he had grown increasingly concerned by what he described as repeated attempts to create false narratives around the implementation of the body-worn camera (BWC) programme, particularly in the context of police-involved fatal shootings.
“I have been taking note of the several attempts of a few to create a false perception of the issues,” the Commissioner wrote, adding: “I am convinced that this is not misunderstanding, it is direct misleading.”
Dr Blake acknowledged that he had previously sought to address the issue with diplomacy, but said the persistence of the claims required a more direct response.
“Many times I try to be diplomatic and kind,” he said. “But colleagues, I probably need to be more direct when calling out lies.”
At the centre of the dispute is the long-running assertion by critics that the JCF has delayed the rollout of body-worn cameras due to unresolved infrastructure challenges. The Commissioner rejected that claim, stating that the necessary digital infrastructure has been in place since 2023 and that the Force’s focus has since shifted to procurement and deployment.
“How many times have you heard me outline the process that we undertook to effectively deploy body-worn cameras?” he asked, noting that early delays were linked to the need to build the supporting systems required for secure and effective use.
Dr Blake pointed to public updates he provided last year, including an interview in which he announced that the JCF was at an advanced stage of procuring 1,000 cameras. He said those cameras were delivered within weeks and have largely been deployed, with procurement now under way for a further 1,000 units.
“Yet, persons continue to feed to the public the lies that we have said that we are awaiting the infrastructure,” he wrote.
The Commissioner went further, suggesting that the persistence of the narrative was driven by self-interest rather than genuine concern.
“To continue to feed the diatribe of JCF’s resistance to body-worn cameras helps to cement their relevance and hide their incompetence,” he said, adding that he would offer “no apologies for not calling a spade a shovel”.
Dr Blake also placed the BWC debate within a wider critique of what he described as an economy of commentary that thrives on portraying the JCF as ineffective or unwilling to reform.
“I do sympathise with those who make a living and a name by tearing down our institutions and being purveyors of bad news,” he wrote. “Because we intend to starve them of the bad news on which they thrive.”
He rejected claims that recent reductions in violent crime were the result of unlawful police conduct, stating that some critics continue to frame the Force’s success as being driven by fatal shootings rather than “effective and sensible strategies”.
According to the Commissioner, such narratives ignore the reality that hundreds of suspects are arrested each year for firearm-related offences without lethal force being used. “They presented no deadly challenge, hence we had no reason to meet them with deadly response,” he said.
Dr Blake ended his comments with a call for a shift in public discourse, urging advocacy groups and commentators to focus their energy on discouraging armed criminals from confronting the police.
“Our time would be better spent,” he wrote, “if these persons, groups and organisations join our voices in appealing to the murderous thugs to not raise their weapons against the police when we have to confront them.”
He also offered reassurance to rank-and-file officers, pledging continued leadership support for those who act within the law. “Remain calm in the noise,” the Commissioner said, “and confident that your leadership will always stand with you once you act within the law and in the interest of protecting life and society.”
